R
ight now the Internet is a very confusing place for many clients. Their organic ranking has fallen and they have no idea how to go about fixing the problem. A few years ago a company could just start a PPC campaign, write a small blog and incorporate a little SEO and sales would go up. Today the landscape is far different. Google is determined to end SEO manipulation through their Panda and recent Penguin updates. Social Media platforms have popped up all over the place promising captive eyeballs (while delivering dubious conversion rates). Mobile platforms and separate algorithms have been added into the mix to create even greater confusion. Content marketing is the new hot topic but in reality applying analytics to content marketing is simply a quagmire. All of this uncertainty makes PPC appealing to clients.
Some search analysts have even gone so far as to imply that PPC is dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. PPC isn’t dead; it is simply playing in an increasingly complex marketplace. This complexity can make the “simplicity” of PPC very appealing for a client. Today a PPC campaign can be even more valuable especially if it is combined with other marketing strategies. A PPC campaign can act as the stabilizing force in the marketing strategy amidst all the turbulent changes that are happening in social media and organic search. A strong marketing campaign can revolve around PPC like planets revolve around the sun.
PPC Marketing:
- Quantifiable, open to testing and optimization, with a proven track record.
Other forms of marketing:
- SEO marketing: important but constantly changing.
Content marketing: important but expensive and difficult.
Social network marketing : important but a new unproven medium.
Local/mobile marketing: important but a new unproven medium.
Offline traditional and promotional products marketing: important but difficult to target.
Email marketing: important but lower and lower conversion rates related to spam.
SMS marketing: important but new and viewed by consumers as spam.
Additional types of marketing add value to PPC and ultimately increase brand awareness and sales. This is an old fashion marketing strategy and it is something that clients can understand.
Explain that Search is Still the Center of the Universe
There is another very important reason for using PPC. Despite the changes in the Internet, Search is still the center of the universe.
Pay-per-click advertising still has distinct advantages over all other forms of marketing in that it is a quantifiable medium that is very closely tied into the business models of Internet kings Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. All of these large companies will see to it that their paid advertising is the best form of Internet Marketing.
Google’s Penguin and Panda updates have focused on eliminating organic search manipulation. Why are they so concerned about customer experience? SEO hurts Google Adword sales. Large companies that have great organic placement are less likely to pay top dollar for Adwords. These same companies are also the ones that are most likely to be “over optimized.” A riskier SEO game increases the value of Adwords. Similarly, it also adds greater value to every PPC campaign.
What about Social Media? In all likelihood Google and Bing will initially benefit from social network marketing. Why? Because when customers are ready to buy they still use familiar conversion funnels. Customers rarely buy directly from Social Media. When they are ready to buy, customers still use search.
Using PPC as a marketing center gives a client the opportunity to weather both algorithm updates like Panda and Penguin and the growing pains of social media and content marketing. All marketing platforms are important. They work together to create brand awareness that then leads back to the desired conversions.
Sell PPC Services Effectively
Many years of taking PPC for granted have made it possible to forget how hard it was to initially sell PPC advertising. Back in the days of Overture clients took a great deal of convincing. Use the same strategies today to bring them back to PPC. Here are 5 five ways to sell your client on PPC in the wake of Google’s Penguin update.
1. Start with data. Nothing sells a client faster than numbers. Start with data and then define and segment it with all the wonderful tools and analytics available for PPC. Show the client how precisely PPC will make them money. Nothing convinces faster than PPC’s greatest strength.
2. Premium placement and beautiful copy. PPC ads can be beautiful and enticing. Show your client how rich and wonderful their ads will look. Show them the amazing placement promoting their brand.
3. Place the ad quickly. No matter what side of the PPC process you are on, quicker is better. PPC is amazing in that it is something the client and customers can see almost immediately. The sooner they do the happier they will be.
4. Service. Distinguish your PPC business by providing outstanding service. Stay on top of the campaign and constantly maintain and improve ROI for your clients.
5. Propose a long-term budget plan to your client. The longer that you can keep a good client, the better your own ROI. A PPC budget plan gives both you and the client a way to grow your businesses together.
